As I stood at the base of the mountain range beside a remote African village, the male villagers all repeated the same question: Are you certain you want to climb the mountain?
It had________been climbed by local and foreign men, and local women, but a Western female had ________, unaccompanied and wanted to climb the mountain, which was quite _________
I explained that I’d been________for some time --in research and in physical strength-- and showed them the________I had got from their government authorizing my climb. I stressed that I’d be very________to follow their local traditions and hire one of their villagers as a guide, but it seemed to do little to reduce their________.
The male villagers told me that the ‘quick mud’ I’d meet would swallow me. While they couldn’t remember anyone this bad thing actually________, they seemed convinced it was a real ________. The village women, however, smiled at me, indicating their________for my climb.
The men________ telling stories of unpredictable danger. However, I was________ because my aunt’s words kept ________in my ears --the greatest risk is not taking a risk, and we should always ________our dreams.
Eventually, the men agreed to a(n)________that seemed to put them at ease with my climb. Besides the local guide I’d hire, they also________ me to hire three men guards with guns, for protection.
As I started walking down the dirt path toward the mountain, I was________not only by my new mountain support team, but also by every village woman. While two women walked hand-in-hand with me, the others danced in circles around us as if in ________of a victory.
I knew I wasn’t the first Western female to make the climb. But with the women villagers________accompanying me, I felt a strong sense of ________. And I guessed they felt the same.
1.A.formally B.fortunately C.especially D.surely
2.A.achieved B.wandered C.arrived D.explored
3.A.rare B.typical C.disgusting D.common
4.A.consulting B.attempting C.preparing D.operating
5.A.reward B.invitation C.command D.permit
6.A.generous B.cautious C.curious D.regretful
7.A.concerns B.thrills C.surprises D.problems
8.A.belonged to B.appealed to C.led to D.happened to
9.A.bargain B.possibility C.promotion D.dilemma
10.A.fancy B.support C.reason D.disagreement
11.A.finished B.enjoyed C.continued D.suggested
12.A.determined B.annoyed C.delighted D.depressed
13.A.alarming B.ringing C.breaking D.exploding
14.A.observe B.make C.strengthen D.follow
15.A.exchange B.connection C.explanation D.arrangement
16.A.warned B.refused C.advised D.reminded
17.A.joined B.expected C.frightened D.teased
18.A.celebration B.search C.possession D.defense
19.A.carefully B.boringly C.proudly D.patiently
20.A.relief B.accomplishment C.justice D.guilty
In your life, sometimes you may be asked to speak in front of a large group of people. Although it sounds a little scary, even those with stage fright can speak successfully to the group with adequate preparation.
Practice your speech before the big day. 1. If possible, practice the speech in front of a friend or family member to get used to saying it to real people. If you feel you must have note cards, limit the amount to about three cards. This will force you to keep your speech concise and help you keep your eyes focused on your audience.
Remember why you’ve been invited to speak. If you’re battling fear over speaking to a large group of people, keep your mind on the fact that you were selected for this important role. The speech organizers must have seen something valuable in you or your expertise. 2.
Remember that fear of public speaking is very common. 3. Most of the people in the audience would be feeling the same fear and stress that you do in your position. Knowing this may make you feel better.
4. What you say should be tailored to why you’re there and who you’re speaking to in order to avoid sounding general. If speaking to a charity group, mention the good work certain specific individuals have done for the cause. If speaking at a business conference, briefly state why you want to help these people.
Keep eye contact with the crowd. 5. Pick one person in each section and look at him while you’re speaking. After each important point in your speech, switch your focus to another section. When you focus only on one person at a time, the size of the crowd isn’t as frightening.
A.A good memory is really helpful.
B.Show appreciation to your audience.
C.Mention your audience in your speech.
D.The more you have it memorized, the better.
E.In fact, it’s normal to feel nervous or stressed out before a big speech.
F.Separate the crowd into three sections mentally as you get up to speak.
G.The knowledge of other people’s respect for you should reduce some of the fear.
Thanks to this new hands- free suitcase, carrying around heavy luggage may soon become a thing of the past. Designed by Israeli company NUA Robotics, this “smart” suitcase can follow you everywhere you go.
The carryon suitcase, now a prototype(雏形), connects to a smartphone app via bluetooth. It has a builtin camera sensor that can “see” you and follow you around on flat floors. It comes with an antitheft alarm to prevent someone carrying it away when you’re not looking.“It can follow and carry things for people around while communicating with their smartphone, and avoiding bumping into other objects,” explained Alex Libman, founder of NUA Robotics.“We’re combining sensor network, computer vision, and robotics. So if you download our app(应用), press the ‘follow me’ button, the luggage recognizes its user and knows to follow and communicate.”
NUA is still testing the products and trying to improve features like speed and customization(客户订制), but they hope to make the suitcase available to customers in a year’s time. If it proves successful, they want to use the bluetooth pairing technology to automate(自动化操作）lots of other products, like shopping carts at the supermarket. These products are especially meant to be useful to the physically disabled and elderly.“Any object can be smart and robotic，” Libman told Mashable.“We want to bring robots into everyday life.”
The Israeli tech company made it clear that the finished product will look just like a common suitcase. They’re planning to partner with a carryon luggage maker, since the product that makes it “smart” weighs just 2.5 pounds and can be fitted on oldfashion luggage.
With NUA’s smart suitcase, carrying around heavy luggage isn’t a burden. But how their invention will handle tough blocks like stairs? It will be interesting to wait.
1.According to the passage, the “smart” suitcase ________．
A.can go everywhere
B.is on sale now
C.was designed by Alex Libman
D.can make our hands free during traveling
2.If you want to use this free hand suitcase, you must ________．
A.look at it all the time
B.avoid obstacles
C.download the app
D.carry a camera
3.What can we learn about NUA?
A.It was founded by Mashable.
B.It has improved the features of the device.
C.It will make the suitcase available to customers in a month.
D.It wants to bring more smart and robotic devices into everyday life.
4.Where is the article probably from?
A.A poster. B.A website.
C.A textbook. D.A biography.
Every year, thousands of teenagers participate in programs at their local art museums. But do any of them remember their time at museum events later in life? A new report suggests that the answer is yes – and finds that alumni (毕业生) of arts-based museum programs credit them with changing the course of their lives, even years after the fact.
The Whitney Museum of American Art, the Walker Art Center and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles recently asked researchers to conduct a study to find out how effective their long-standing teen art programs really are. They involved over 300 former participants of four programs for teens that have been in existence since the 1990s. Alumni, whose current ages range from 18 to 36, were invited to find out how they viewed their participation years after the fact.
Among the alumni surveyed, 75 percent of alumni rated the teen program experience as the most favorable impact on their own lives, beating family, school and their neighborhoods. Nearly 55 percent thought that it was one of the most important experiences they’d ever had, regardless of age. And two-thirds said that they were often in situations where their experience in museums affected their actions or thoughts.
It turns out that participating in art programs also helps keep teens enthusiastic about arts even after they reach adulthood: 96 percent of participants had visited an art museum within the last two years, and 68 percent had visited an art museum five or more times within the last two years. Thirty-two percent of program alumni work in the arts as adults.
Though the study is the first of its kind to explore the impact of teen-specific art programs in museums, it reflects other research on the important benefits of engaging with the arts. A decade of surveys by the National Endowment for the Arts found that childhood experience with the arts is significantly associated with their income and educational attainment as adults. Other studies have linked arts education to everything from lower drop-out rates to improvement in critical thinking skills.
1.What does the second paragraph mainly tell?
A.The result of the study.
B.The process of the study.
C.The approach to the study.
D.The aim and content of the study.
2.What can be inferred of the study mentioned in the text?
A.Passion for arts may remain long in kids’ whole life.
B.No other studies exist concerning the benefits of arts.
C.Age matters in how people view their art experiences.
D.Most children taking part in art programs will work in arts.
3.Which of the following can be the best title for the text?
A.How is Art Connected to Our Life?
B.Should Children Walk into Art Museums?
C.What Should Art Museums do for Kids?
D.Can Art Education Affect Our Income?
I was in the garden with Augie, my grandson, watching the bees. ''How do they make honey? '' Augie asked. ''Actually, Augie, I don't know, '' I replied. ''But, Grandma, you have your phone, '' he said. For Augie, holding a smartphone almost means knowing everything.
During my childhood I was crazy about books. Over time, reading hijacked my brain, as large areas once processing the real world adapted to processing the printed word. As far as I can tell, this early immersion (沉浸) didn't prevent my development.
Many parents worry that ''screen time'' will damage children’s development, but recent research suggests that most of the common fears about children and screens are unfounded. There is one exception: looking at screens before bed really disturbs sleep, in people of all ages. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) used to recommend strict restrictions on screen exposure. Last year, the organization examined the relevant science more thoroughly and changed its recommendations. The new guidelines stress that what matters is what children watch and with whom.
New tools have always led to panic guesses. The novel, the telephone, and the television were all declared to be the End of Civilization, particularly in the hands of the young. Part of the reason may be that adult brains require a lot of focus and effort to learn something new, while children's brains are designed to master new environments naturally. New technologies always seem disturbing to the adults attempting to master them, while attractive to those children like Augie.
When Augie's father got home, Augie rushed to meet him and said in excitement. ''Daddy, Daddy, look, '' he said, reaching for my phone. ''Do you know how bees make honey? I'll show you…''
1.Which of the following can best replace the underlined word ''hijacked'' in Paragraph 2?
A.occupied. B.damaged.
C.improved. D.relaxed.
2.What do the new guidelines of AAP focus on about ''screen time''?
A.The harm to children. B.The content and context.
C.Children's sleep. D.People's fears.
3.What might be the author's attitude towards ''screen time''?
A.Opposed. B.Doubtful.
C.Disappointed. D.Favorable.
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.How did the servants deal with their earnings in Victorian times?
A.They paid for the housing.
B.They bought food and clothes.
C.They sent them to their families.
2.What was a nurse’s main duty?
A.Cooking meals. B.Looking after children. C.Educating children.
3.How did the Victorian upper class parents treat their children actually?
A.Cruelly. B.Kindly. C.Strictly.
4.What will the speaker talk about next?
A.Lower class families.
B.Upper class children’s situation.
C.Comparisons between upper and lower classes.
